Once more to save the Leaf
by JediMaster98
Summary: Naruto Uzumaki sends himself back in time to when he was a child to save the leaf from complete destruction. Naruto codename Menma tries to stop the madman Orochimaru all while helping the younger him be more than a knucklehead ninja and attempts to keep Sasuke from walking a darker path. Can he change the future? And who are the mysterious Akatsuki going after the Tailed Beasts?


Disclaimer: I Do Not Own Naruto

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Standing alone in the Hokage tower Jon Naruto Uzumaki stared out the window in his office at what little was left of his once great Village. Buildings reduced to piles of rubble, what little was left standing now abandoned. Year's ago when he was a different person, more optimistic less burdened by the world around him he would have convinced himself this wasn't it, that he could somehow rebuild Konoha back to what it once was. Now he knew the leaf village had finally fallen, at the hands of her greatest traitor nonetheless. "Orochimaru" Even thinking the name sent boiling anger through his veins. The Snake-sannin had failed at the Chunin-exams when he was but a Genin over a decade ago and while everyone knew he was out there no one had bothered to go looking for him till it was too late. The mad scientist had come back leading droves of his twisted and vile experiments behind him laying waste to the village. What followed after had been the worst five years of Naruto's life. All of his friends fell around him one by one, first Granny Tsunade who he had replaced in the role of Hokage. Sakura came after her and finally Kakashi-Sensei his last loyal teammate alive had died fighting Sasuke taking the rabid Uchiha down with him. Then over the years the other Genin and leaf Shinobi he came to know and love died as well leaving him alone to fight the Sound Menace. Even when he killed Orochimaru after years of war there was no satisfaction, no sense of victory because he had not won, only survived.

"Kit it's time."

Nodding Naruto turned away from the window the last memory of this Konoha permanently burned into his memory. "Kurama if this works..." Naruto trailed off unable to find the right words to express his worries.

"I will leave you. It simple Kit, my conscious will find the other part of me at that time and join it in the younger you."

"I'm going to miss you," Naruto said checking over the last of the seal array painted on the floor. This was his only hope to save his friends and the village. To travel back in time and stop Orochimaru from attacking a second time by killing him at the Chunin-Exams. Nothing came for free in life though and the price for a second chance came in losing his best friend.

"Stop thinking so much kit; you knew the risk when we planned this out. Don't back out now." Eased by his friend's voice, Naruto took a deep breath summoning as much of the Kyuubi's demonic chakra as he could sending it all into the seal around him.

"Time Warp Jutsu!"

In a flash of light, the Hokage Office exploded around him as time and space shifted opening a rift in the air. Pulling more demonic Chakra from his seal Naruto struggled, pushing his body further into the rip as it tried to push him out. Stumbling as the further he got the heavier the world around him became Naruto couldn't hold out any longer slowly fading into unconsciousness.

"Kit you have to stay awake-"

...

"Kurama...Kurama you there?" Naruto groaned sitting up grabbing his head. "Kurama if you hear me say something."

"Did it work?" Glancing around trying to see where he was at because he wasn't in the Hokage tower anymore. Forcing Chakra to his feet he ran up one of the nearby trees, a smile splitting his face for the first time in years. There it was. Konoha. Night lights on, people walking about laughing, Ninja patrolling the roofs and the Hokage Monument standing tall and proud just like it did before Orochimaru Snake summons destroyed it.

"I'm back," Naruto whispered tears of joy threatening to fall. Blinking them back he hardened his features; it was no time to reminisce. He came back to save the Village and everyone in it, and the first thing was setting the Third Hokage right. Vanishing in a leaf Shunshin Naruto used the Jutsu to gauge how much Chakra he had without Kurama inside of him. Dashing through the Village at extreme speeds he frowned, his reserves were near Kage level, a huge step down from the almost limitless amount he had as a Jinchuuriki.

Appearing on top of the Hokage tower he neutralized the two ANBU guards patrolling the roof with swift chops to the neck. Sinking into the floor, he did the same with the four guarding the Sandaime. Watching from his hiding spot he held back the urge to jump down and hug the Old man he owed so much to. He hadn't changed at all from what Naruto remembered him like. Hokage Robes straight and pristine, pointy hat still sitting on his head and just as old and wrinkly as the day he died.

"I know you are there. Why don't you come down." The Sandaime said not looking up from his paperwork.

Shocked that the Hokage knew he was there, Naruto dropped down staying in the shadows keeping his face from view. "How did you know I was here?"

"I am guarded by four ANBU at all times; you don't think I would notice when their Chakra signatures lower."

"Hiruzen Sarutobi, I can see why they called you God Of Shinobi." Naruto laughed weakly anger at himself for being caught so early clashing against the joy he felt at seeing and talking to his surrogate Grandfather again.

"Called? I'm sorry to disappoint by I am very much alive, and plan to stay that way." Now standing Hiruzen threw away the Hokage robes revealing his battle armor underneath. "Now prepare!"

"I didn't come here to fight," Naruto said stepping into the light so Hiruzen could see him clearly. "I need to talk to you about the future of the Leaf Village."

"Na...Naruto?" The Sandaime stuttered in shock at seeing the son of the fourth all grown up; the resemblance was uncanny between the two blondes. "How?"

Taking a seat in one of the chairs in front of the Hokage's desk Naruto pulled out a piece of paper handing it to the third. "This is half the seal array I used to send myself back in time. The other half I burned before coming back."

"This is very complex, how do I know this isn't just random scribbles, and you aren't someone in disguise?" Hiruzen demanded not dropping his guard. This man may have looked like an older Naruto, and he couldn't sense any Chakra around him, but that didn't guarantee that this was, in fact, a Naruto from the future.

"Itachi Uchiha was ordered to massacre his clan because the Uchiha's were planning a Coup," Naruto answered.

"Only the two Advisors and the Hokage know that. How did you find out?" Hiruzen commanded. The Uchiha massacre was one of if not his biggest failure in all his years as Hokage. The whole thing was kept tight-lipped between him, his old teammates and Danzo. "In your time you were-"

"Hokage, that is correct," Naruto tone had taken a sad tone which Hiruzen caught. "A lot of good it did. By the time I was elected the Civilian Council had taken almost all control of the village and ran it straight into the ground."

Retaking his chair Hiruzen frowned as Naruto began explaining how after he had died the power the Council had been slowly taking over the years since the Yondaime's death had been used to pull even more control from the Godaime and by the time the Naruto was elected as Rokudaime the council had nearly all control. "This is most disturbing news. It is not, however, the reason you came back."

Shaking his head, Naruto mood turned sour. "You would be right, Orochimaru got his hands on Itachi's Sharingan and then came back and destroyed the leaf. I'm the only one left except for a few who ran when they got the chance, not that I blame them. The Village was decimated and only a few civilians with nowhere else to go stayed behind."

Sighing heavily Hiruzen sat back in his chair, another one of his failure coming back to light that was going to hurt the village. "Do you remember when he attacks?" The question came out slow like the word were weighed down by his failures.

"My first Chunin Exams is when he first attacks. He gets away, but you did something with to arms and died." Naruto spoke sadly. His first Chunin had been the starting point to the downhill spiral that his life would become. Balling his fists Naruto eyes lit up with determination he hadn't had since he was an academy student shouting to the world about becoming Hokage. "That's why I am here, You prepare for the Chunin Exams and the invasion without making it obvious. You can't tell anyone, not the council or your advisors."

"Understood Hokage-Sama." The Sandaime joked getting a small smile from Naruto for his attempt at humour. "What about you my boy?"

"I'll be back during the Chunin Exams to help you fight, until then I'm not sure where exactly to go," Naruto admitted, he had been so focused on defeating Orochimaru when he came back he hadn't planned for the before or after.

"Why don't you stay in the Village? Build a life for yourself to live once the threats have passed?" Hiruzen suggested.

"Stay in the village?" Naruto asked shocked at the Sandaimes suggestion. He couldn't stay in the village people would recognize him, and he couldn't hold a Henge all day.

"If you are worried about people recognizing you I have a solution for that," Hiruzen said biting his thumb and swiping it over one of the drawers in his desk. Pulling out a small bottle and a seal note he handed the items over to Naruto. "Henge into what you want to look like then drink the vial and place the seal on your tongue. It is an old Jutsu that died out with your Clan when they were wiped out. It changes the facial features of a person into what their Henge looks like permanently."

Nodding Naruto shifted his fingers into the ram seal a puff of smoke covering his face fading away to reveal the new Naruto. Blonde hair was now black in the same messy style; his eyes hadn't changed staying the same bright blue, and the biggest difference came from the whisker marks that were no longer present on each of his cheeks. "Well, old man meet Menma Uzumaki."

"You are going to stay with the Uzumaki name? Are you sure that is wise?" Hiruzen asked picking up some more papers. "If that is what you want, we can do that, but it will draw attention to you."

"Hopefully the attention of a small blonde boy who needs a friend," Naruto said seriously. If he was going to make a life for himself in this world, he was going to make sure his younger self had a better one than he did.

"Very well, your cover story will be an Ex-ANBU who was only under my control on missions outside of the village for extended periods of time. You just retired to Jonin and now will be doing regular missions with other Konoha Shinobi." Hiruzen handed Naruto the papers he needed to fill out. "Sign your name at the bottom, and we can get started on finding you a place to live."

"Somewhere near the apartment complex, my younger self is staying at if you don't mind." Naruto handed the papers back to the third who looked them over before giving them the Hokage signature.

"Then now it is official, welcome back to the leaf Menma Uzumaki."

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 **Leave Review with what you think of story and Pairing suggestions. Only Older woman please, a 25-year-old Naruto will not be being paired with a 13-year-old Hinata.**

 **Anko**

 **Kurenai**

 **Shizune or anyone else you might like to see around that age**


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